Chapter 471 Reaping the bitter fruit
Meanwhile, Zhu Yiyi was brought into the palace by Shang Hong. She dared not show herself easily, and Shang Hong, knowing she was in the palace, wanted to accompany her. So he led his men on a tour, and seeing that there were no suspicious or dangerous people, he assigned the task to his subordinates.
Shang Hong thought: "Wouldn't it be wonderful to be surrounded by flowers and the moon, with a beautiful woman in my arms?"
He glanced at Zhu Yiyi beside him and then led her on a leisurely stroll through the palace.
Zhu Yiyi smiled broadly, trying her best to use her beauty to attract Shang Hong and make him listen to her more.
Shang Hong immediately took her hand and began to confess his feelings, "Miss Yiyi and I are getting married soon."
Zhu Yiyi quickly stepped aside, saying, "This is the imperial palace. It wouldn't be good if someone saw us. Commander Shang, please be mindful of your actions."
"It was my presumption that led me astray." Shang Hong was initially attracted by her beauty, and now he was completely infatuated with her. He had previously mentioned to Imperial Censor Zhu that he wanted to marry Zhu Yiyi, but Imperial Censor Zhu neither agreed nor refused. However, when he saw Zhu Yiyi enter the palace and be with the Emperor, he knew that he had no chance. He had already given up, but unexpectedly, Imperial Censor Zhu came to him again, wanting to marry Zhu Yiyi to him as his second wife.
Shang Hong was naturally pleased. He saw that the Emperor didn't seem to care much about Zhu Yiyi, and he tried to gauge Lin Feng's reaction several times. Lin Feng just scoffed and said that Zhu Yiyi would never enter the palace because the Emperor didn't like her.
Zhu Yiyi said, "Lord Shang, please go ahead and attend to your business. I'm afraid that I might delay your important matters."
"It's alright. My subordinates are keeping an eye on things for me, so nothing will go wrong. Besides, they know we're about to have our wedding banquet, so they're all very willing to take my place." Shang Hong wanted to spend some time alone with her.
Zhu Yiyi, however, did not want him to follow her. She only wanted to go to the Emperor's Qianqing Palace to wait for him. Once she became the Emperor's woman, she would naturally become a concubine in the harem.
However, even though Shang Hong was a member of the Imperial Guard, he was not allowed to enter the inner palace at will, especially the harem. He dared not step into it unless summoned or if something major happened.
Shang Hong only took her for walks in places with few people.
"There are still plum blossoms in the palace, right? I'd like to pick a few branches to make perfume." She deliberately placed her hand in front of Shang Hong's nose and gently waved it. "Plum blossoms can be made into plum blossom perfume, it smells wonderful when applied to the hands."
For some reason, Shang Hong suddenly felt parched. He grabbed Zhu Yiyi's hand, but she pulled away. "My lord, you mustn't be rude. We're not married yet."
Shang Hong was stunned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just that your hands smell so good." This made him suddenly want to kiss them.
Zhu Yiyi said shyly, "That's why I specially came to pick some plum blossoms to make perfume!"
She knew that Chunmei was still there at this time of year, but no one was there to guide her, and she couldn't enter the Imperial Garden. She also couldn't let her father know that she had entered the palace, otherwise her father would really break her legs.
Today, the palace is holding a Lantern Festival banquet, which is crowded and noisy, so Shang Hong was able to bring her into the palace.
Zhu Yiyi was able to enter the palace because her father brought her there, and a eunuch accompanied her.
Shang Hong quickly replied, "Yes, it is true, but if someone sees me entering the inner palace without permission, it would be difficult to explain." His responsibility was to ensure the safety of the palace, and he could not enter the inner palace without being summoned.
"It's just that at this time of year, the plum blossoms outside the palace have all withered. There are spring plum blossoms in the plum garden inside the palace, but if there's a spring rain, these plum blossoms will be worthless. I thought I could secretly pick them without letting anyone know. Last time, I picked a lot of plum blossoms in the plum garden." She wasn't punished by the Emperor, so even if he knew she had gone to the plum garden to pick plum blossoms again, he probably wouldn't punish her. The Emperor does like her a little, but her father is timid.
Zhu Yiyi suddenly said coquettishly, "If it really doesn't work out, then forget it! I'll just leave the palace."
As she spoke, she pretended to be angry and was about to leave. Shang Hong quickly grabbed her and saw that she was dressed in a white dress and looked pretty and charming. "Then change into a palace maid's clothes and I'll take you in. After you pick the plum blossoms, come out quickly. I also know some of the eunuchs on duty in the inner palace."
He could have simply taken her in and said hello, but for some reason, when he saw Zhu Yiyi's beautiful face, he suddenly wanted to hug her. After all, they were going to get married soon, and she would soon be his wife. Every move Zhu Yiyi made was a hint to him.
Zhu Yiyi smiled and deliberately said, "I'll pick some plum blossoms and make some snacks to send to Lord Shang." She thought to herself that she could finally enter the inner palace and get rid of Shang Hong. If she became the emperor's woman, what could Shang Hong dare to say?
Once Shang Hong had found her a set of palace maid's clothes, he said, "Please change into these first, and I'll escort you inside."
Zhu Yiyi glanced around. There were guards and palace maids. The palace was even more lively tonight. Everyone had come out to enjoy the fireworks after the fireworks display.
“Let’s go to the military camp in the west palace! That’s where the guards rest temporarily.” Shang Hong added, “I’ll guard the door for you.”
Zhu Yiyi felt she had no other choice. Tonight, she had to enter the palace to find an opportunity to get close to the emperor. If she couldn't see the emperor today, she would disguise herself as a palace maid and hide in the palace to look for another opportunity. She didn't want to be locked up by her father again.
Zhu Yiyi only managed to escape the mansion when Madam Zhu also entered the palace. Her only thought was to use Shang Hong to sneak into the palace. She knew he liked her and would definitely take her into the palace.
Granny Liu also came out tonight. Naturally, she knew that Zhu Yiyi had entered the palace and that her mistress's life had been ruined by her. Now, she wanted to enter the palace to seduce the emperor.
A ruthless glint flashed in Granny Liu's eyes. She had tampered with the clothes that Shang Hong had found for Zhu Yiyi. Shang Hong hadn't expected that when he asked around, a nanny would offer to find him a set of palace maid's clothes.
Shang Hong had also accidentally ingested an aphrodisiac not long ago. Although the dose was small, it was enough to make him infatuated with Zhu Yiyi when he saw her.
Shang Hong initially stood obediently by the door, but he felt increasingly parched and his desire grew stronger. He peeked through the crack in the door; he had wanted to hug her earlier, but he managed to control his thoughts.
Just as Zhu Yiyi was getting ready to put on her palace maid's clothes, something jumped out and scared her half to death. She screamed, and Shang Hong, who was guarding outside the door, heard the commotion and rushed in, "Miss Yiyi, what's wrong...?"
Granny Liu reappeared outside the door and personally closed it for them. The eldest young lady had used this method to harm the second young lady, so she wanted to let her taste the flavor of a man. She just wanted to repay her in kind.
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